Social protection is essential in the fight against poverty, particularly in some partner countries of international cooperation, where social security systems often remain fragmented or inadequate. SDG 1, which aims to eradicate poverty in all its forms, emphasises the importance of universal social protection mechanisms.

Social protection is a powerful driver of economic and social transformation. By ensuring access to healthcare, supporting incomes, and providing employment security, it promotes equity, reduces inequalities, and strengthens social cohesion. By strengthening their national systems, countries will be better equipped to deal with crises and move towards universal health cover, while promoting a more inclusive and sustainable economy.

Priorities

Extension of social protection: Drawing on the third pillar of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, Enabel supports the development of inclusive social protection systems to ensure the security of workers in both the formal and informal sectors.
This includes access to protection mechanisms in case of shocks affecting their ability to work, as well as essential benefits such as healthcare coverage, retirement pensions, and parental leave to promote a healthy work-life balance.

Social and health protection: Affordability of health care is a major issue, particularly in the informal economy.
Enabel contributes to the development of national social health protection systems. Three dimensions are inextricably linked: governance, the provision of quality health care and services, and the development of a system that ensures equitable access to services for the entire population.

Within the broader concept of social health protection, social health insurance is a cornerstone for achieving universal health coverage.

Services

Enabel offers support in the following areas of expertise:

• Supporting the setting-up of inclusive social protections systems
• Technical assistance for compliance with international labour standards
• Supporting the introduction of universal and (eventually) compulsory health insurance systems
• Supporting the training of medical officers
• Supporting the coordination of the Team Europe Initiative on Social Protection for Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Decent Work Toolbox is a methodological tool for Enabel. It capitalises on learning and good practice in the four pillars put forward by the ILO, including pillar 3 on social protection. It enables decent work projects to be analysed, planned and monitored, and aims to facilitate the development of solutions tailored to each context.

The policy note on Social Protection in Health and its eight fact sheets (2022) provide key guidance for building a universal and inclusive social health protection system:

• Healthcare performance pricing in the organisation of Social Health Protection/Universal Health Insurance
• Incorporation of free-of-charge policies in a single national system of Social Health Protection/Universal Health Insurance
• The contracting process
• Advocacy for health service users and the whole population in a Social Health Protection/Universal Health Insurance framework
• Role and engagements of States in Social Health Protection
• The operationalisation and professionalisation of a single national Social Health Protection/Universal Health Insurance ssytem
• The organisation of Social Health Protection and Universal Health Insurance
• Universal Health Insurance that maximises equity: risk analysis and mitigation measures, a decision support tool.